Water-tube cleaner



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. S. DEAN.

WATER TUBE CLEANER.

Patented Apr. 13, 1897.

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C. S. DEAN.

WATER TUBE CLEANER.

No. 580,775.. Patented Apr. 13, 1897.

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NITED STATES APATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS S. DEAN, OF FORT ERIE, CANADA, ASSIGN OR TO XVILLIAM B. PIERCE, OFBUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,775, dated April13, 1897'.

Application filed NOVGlIllJel 13, 189'6. Serial No. 611,949. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUS S. DEAN, asubject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Fort Erie, in the county of 1Welland and Provinceof Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTater-Tube Cleaners, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to tube-cleaners, and aims to provide a toolwhich will remove and loosen the scale, deposits, and incrustation fromeither the inner or outer side of a tube, the scale-loosener beingprovided in different forms and removably iitted to a vibrating arm, sothat when one loosener is worn it can be replaced by a new one, or oneform be substituted by another.

A vital feature of the invention is the provision of means for securinga positive feed of the cleaner throughout the entire length of the tubewithout requiring an adjustment of the feed mechanism after the cleanerhas advanced a certain length or distance and to enable the device to beoperated in a comparatively small space.

Other objects and advantages are contemplated and will suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art as the nature and details of theinvention are fully understood; and to this end reference is to be hadto the following description and the accompanying drawings, in whichcorresponding and like parts are designated in all the views of thedrawings by the same reference-characters.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a detail view of a tube-cleanerembodying the essential principles of this invention, the same beingshown partly in elevation and partly in section and as it will appearwhen in service. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the cleaner, parts beingbroken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the mechanism for advancingthe cleaner through a tube, the dotted lines showing the pivoted armsthrown outward when it is required to place the cleaner within a tube orremove it therefrom after the feeding mechanism is in place. Fig. 4c isa view of the feeding mechanism from its inner end. Fig. 5 is a sectionon the line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a scale-loosenerfol` removing the incrustation from the outer sides of a tube. Fig. 7 isa top plan view of a pivoted arm.

The cleaner comprises a shell or hollow body l, closed at one end by acap 2, to which a hose or other pipe 3 is fitted and having a chamberedhead 4 at its opposite end. A piston 5 reciprocates Within the chamber 6of the head and has a transverse mortise or ope'ning 7, through whichpasses avibrating arm S, pivoted to the head at 9 and bearing ascaleloosener l0 at its outer end. The mortise or opening 7 liarestoward its ends at a middle point to afford clearance for the vibratingarm 8 when the cleaner is in operation. A rocking bearing 11 is mountedin a bore in the piston at right angles to the mortise 7 and has atransverse opening for the passage of the vibrating arm 8. This arm hasa rel ative sliding movement in the rocking bearing by reason of itspivot9 being Xed and the piston reciprocating in a straight line,thereby permitting of the point o f engagement between the said rockingbearing and arm adapting itself so as to permit the piston toreciprocate freely without any binding between it and the parts 8 andll.

The piston and rocking bearing are constructed of different metals ofsuch nature as to obviate the necessity of a lubricant between them. Ifthe piston is constructed of iron or steel, the rocking bearing will beformed of brass or like composition for the purpose specified. Ports 12lead into the ends of the chamber 6 and open into the shell l throughthe rear end of the head 4, and these ports are controlled by aslide-valve 13, which is operated by a rear extension of the vibratingarln 8. limited play relative to the slide-valve, where- The vibratingarm has aV by a rebound of the scale-loosener will una cover the innerend of a port by moving the piston without shifting the slide-valve,thereby admitting the steam or other motive medium behind the piston todrive it before the said slide-valve is shifted, the parts being soproportioned that the opposite port is closed by the piston an instantprior to the shifting of the slide-valve for luncovering the said ports.Thus it will be seen that the ports are alternately closed and opened attheir oppo- Aloo site ends by means of the slide-valve and pistons, thisconstruction being necessary to the successful operation of the tool.

The scale-looseuer is of circular form and is mounted upon a taperingportion of the vibrating arm 8 and is held thereon by a nut 14. When thediametrically opposite points of the scale loosener or cutter are dulledor become unfit for further effective work, the nut 14 is loosened andthe cutter turned so as to bring new points in position for activeservice, after which the nut is retightened, so as to hold the cutter inthe adjusted position. For cutting or loosening scale, incrustation,&c., from inner sides of a tube the scaleloosener has a cutting edge 15;but where the scale is to be removed from the outer side of a tube thedevice has a rounded or blunt edge 16, which impacts against the innersides of a tube and causes the latter to vibrate to such h an-extent asto dislodge and cause the scales to peel or strip.

The feeding mechanism consists of a tube 17, having outer anges 1S and19 between its ends and is adapted to be secured in an opening in thehead-sheet of a boiler opposite the tube to be cleaned by suitablemeans, preferably by clips 20, bolted to the headsheet and engaging theflange 18. The flange 19 is formed with a series of openings 21, inwhich pins 22 are removably fitted, whereby the relative speed of thefeeding mechanism can be varied by placing the pin in each or everyalternate opening, as will .be readily understood. A tubular head 23 isrotatably mounted upon the outer end of the tube 17 and has a hand-wheel24 secured to its outer edge to be grasped for rotating the head, andtheinner end of the head is anged, as shown at 25, and is engaged by aclip 26, secured to the iiange 19, so as to retain the head 23 in place.Arms 27 are located at diametrically opposite points and have pivotalconnection at their inner ends with the tubular head and are provided attheir outer ends with bearingsleeves 28, in which are journaled shafts29, bearing feed-pulleys 30 at their inner ends and worm-wheels3l attheir outer ends, which intermesh with a worm 32 on a shaft 33,journaled in bearings 34, projecting from a side of the head 23. Astar-wheel 35 is secured to the inner end of the shaft 33 and its pointsor cogs engage with the pins 22 as the head 23 is rotated, therebyimparting movement to the shaft 33 and to the feed-pulleys 30 throughthe intermediate instrumentalities, as herein described. Thefeed-pulleys 30 have approximately V-shaped peripheral grooves, so as toinsure a sufficiently firm gripping action between them and the pipe 3to feed or advance the cleaner through the tube.

The outer ends of the pivoted arms 27 operate through openings in thehead 23 and have notches 36 to receive a clamp ring or band 37, by meansof which they are held in place and the feed-pulleys 30 caused to gripthe opposite sides ofthe pipe 3. This clampband 37 has a binding-screw38, by means of which the pressure of the feed-pulleys against the sidesof pipe 3 can be regulated.

l/Vhen it is required to place the cleaner in position or remove it froma tube after the feeding mechanism is in place, the clampband 37 isdisconnected from the arms 27 and the latter are thrown outward, asindicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereby an unobstructed passageis afforded for the entrance or exit of the cleaner. After the cleanerhas been introduced into a tube to be cleaned and the feed-pulleys 30have been caused to grip the sides of an operating-pipe 3, and the steamor other motive medium being supplied to the shell and thescale-loosener set in operation in the manner set forth, the cleaner isadvanced by turning the handwheel 24, which rotates the head 23upon thetube 17, and by reason of thestar or spur wheel 35 engaging with thepins 22 the feed-pulleys 30 are ro- 1 tated in the manner set forth, andengaging frictionally with the sides of the pipe 3 move the latter andthe cleaner carried thereby. The feed can be regulated either by turningthe hand-wheel 24 more or less rapidly,or if the said hand-wheel is tobe rotated at a uniform speed the feed can be regulated by changing theposition of the pins 22, either by placing them in each opening 2l or atany required distance apart, having one or-more openings intervening.

The tube-cleaner, comprising the chambered head, reciprocating piston,slide-valve, and scale-loosener, as herein disclosed, with the exceptionof the rocking bearing and the vibrating arm having .sliding or looseconnection therewith, is not claimed herein, because it forms thesubject-matter of an application filed by me September 9, 1896, SerialNo. 605,238.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tube-cleaner, the combination of a chambered head, areciprocating piston located in the chamber of the head and having atransverse mortise, a rocking bearing located in the mortise of thepiston and having a transverse opening, a vibrating arm bearing ascale-loosener and operating loosely through the opening of the rockingbearing, and means for reciprocating the piston to vibrate the said arm,substantially as set forth.

2. In a tube-cleaner, the combination of a IOO IIO

IZO

head, a reciprocating piston having a transy verse mortise flaringtoward its ends from an intermediate point, and having a circular boreat right angles to the mortise, a rocking bearing located in thesaidbore and having a transverse opening, a vibrating arm bearing ascale-loosener and operating loosely through the opening of the rockingbearing, and an actuating mechanism for reciprocating the piston,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination, a tube-cleaner, an operatin g pipe or stem connectedtherewith, oppositely-disposed feed-pulleys for gripping the pipe orstem upon opposite sides, actuating mechanism for rotating thefeed-pulleys for advancing or withdrawing the tubecleaner, and arotatable head carrying the feed-pulleys and their actuating mechanismwhereby the tube-cleaner is simultaneously turned and advanced or movedlongitudinally, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

4. In combination, a tube-cleaner having an operating pipe or stem,independentlymovable supports, parallel shafts journaled in the saidsupports and bearing pulleys at their inner ends to grip the oppositesides of the operating stem or pipe, and having gearwheels at theirouter ends, a third shaft having a gear intermeshing with thegear-wheels of the parallel shafts, and means for rotating the thirdshaft, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

5. In combination, a tube-cleaner having an operating pipe or stem,pivoted arms, bearl ing feed-pulleys to engage with the opposite sidesof the operating pipe or stein, means for securing the pivoted arms whenclosed to hold the feed-pulleys in positive engagement with theoperating-stem, and actuating mechanism for the feed-pulleys,substantially as set forth.

6. The herein-described means for simultaneously turning and movinglongitudinally a tube-cleaner, consisting of a support provided withprojecting portions, a head rotatably mounted upon the support, armshaving pivotal connection with the rotatable head, means for holding thepivoted arms together at their free ends, parallel shafts j ournaled tothe pivoted arms and having feedpulleys and gear-wheels, a third shafthaving a gear, to intermesh with the gears of the aforesaid parallelshafts, and a star or spur wheel secured to the third shaft and adaptedYto engage with the projections of the support upon rotating the head forimparting a positive movement to the shafts and feedpulleys,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

, CYRUS S. DEAN. Witnesses:

ALEXANDER H. BELL, ELLIS HUGHES.

